Nyck de Vries is in desperate need of a big performance this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix, as the driver most likely to replace him is continuing to show why he deserves the Dutchman’s seat.
According to reports, De Vries has just a few races to save his Formula 1 career, despite being just five races into his rookie campaign.
Life at AlphaTauri hasn’t started well for the 28-year-old, who Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko was expecting to lead the Faenza-based team.
Instead, Marko has admitted to having shown De Vries a “yellow card”, meaning he’s at risk of being dumped perhaps even before the 2023 season reaches the halfway stage.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
The last two races alone have been a disaster for De Vries, with him having crashed twice in Azerbaijan, whilst he then went into the back of Lando Norris at the Miami Grand Prix.
What isn’t helping De Vries’ situation, is that team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has made substantial progress this season.
The Japanese driver has often been slammed for lacking consistency, maturity and composure; however, he’s demonstrated all three this year.
Tsunoda has been one of the most consistent drivers on the grid this season, with him being the team’s sole points finisher to-date.
As a result, he’s cemented himself already as AlphaTauri’s leader for the season, with many now questioning if he’s ready to make the step to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull once the Mexican’s contract expires.
It’s not just Tsunoda’s solid start to the season which is hurting De Vries ahead of the Monaco GP, it’s also the incredible start to the year for Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson.
Lawson is the hot favourite to replace De Vries should the Dutchman be dropped, with the Kiwi having made an exceptional start to his debut campaign in Japan’s Super Formula championship.
READ: Toto Wolff delivers blow to Lewis Hamilton ahead of Monaco GP
After finishing third in Formula 2 last season, Lawson has made the move to Super Formula where he currently finds himself at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, having won two of the opening four rounds this year.
He claimed his second win of the season last weekend at Autopolis, with him clearly not requiring anytime to settle into the series.
Given how quickly he’s gotten up to speed in Japan, Red Bull might be considering whether Lawson would show the same progress if he were to replace De Vries, with time certainly not being in the Dutchman’s favour.